TRANSLATION: Hello! I’m Congressman Mike Honda, and I’m proud to represent Silicon Valley in Congress. This is Hispanic Heritage Month. Hispanic Americans embody the American Dream. Latinos and Hispanics continue to be innovative leaders in business, education, entertainment, and science. The American way of life is richer due to their contributions. One of the best experiences of my life was the two years I served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in El Salvador. I quickly fell in love with the country, the people, and the culture there. My District in California has over 130,000 people of Hispanic descent. I’ve seen firsthand the active engagement this community brings to the critical issues of the day. Issues like civil rights, equal access to health care, and immigration. I am proud to have worked with prominent members of the Hispanic Caucus, such as Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard, on the Health Equity and Accountability Act. This comprehensive legislation will reduce ethnic and racial disparities in health care access and outcome. I’m disappointed by the failure of Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform this year. A reformed immigration system will benefit so many: the farmers and farm workers who provide the food we eat; the tech workers who provide innovation to our economy; and the DREAMers who have grown up to know and love this country. And it will also improve our economy. I promise that I will continue the fight to fix our broken immigration system. I stand firmly with my Hispanic Caucus colleagues, including Representatives Raúl Grijalva, Luis Gutiérrez, and Xavier Becerra, along with allies from various communities, in our battle to reunite families separated by our unfair immigration system. Our Hispanic brothers and sisters have given so much to this country. I’m glad that we are able to honor them in this way.

• published: 30 Sep 2014
• views: 7